If you did not seen this kid play for the Maryland Terrapins over the past four seasons you really missed out. In 2009 he almost single-handedly beat UNC and a week later had his team in position to beat Duke then fouling out of the game and watching his team crumble to lose by 9 points. 2010 was statistically his most productive year in college, and his team won 24 games, finishing the NCAA season ranked #20 by the AP, but as in other years failed to get out of the second round of the tournament. His biggest obstacle is maturity on the court, but last year as a senior he broke open his game and began to run the floor with vision. As a senior he was still cocky and reckless at times on the court, but that is what college is for, to work through those traits and become solid as a pro. Off the court he is also cocky and reckless, but loyal. When asked by a Post reporter to comment on his coach Gary Williams over bad recruiting Vasquez offered but a few colorful comments: "He has got more money than all you guys put together. He is not worried about what you guys say." "If I have to go to war with him, I will die for him." "You are trying to kill him. He is a winner. He is a champion. You better start writing about games instead of writing about criticizing him. We are here to win games. We are not here to have him sit down and teach us about media and stuff. We are here to learn about basketball." I am sure whatever mentor he finds will work on his clubhouse quotes, sort of like Crash Davis tutoring Nuke LaLoosh in Bull Durham. Like I said, all stuff he can work through. His in-game talent is unquestionable, as well as entertaining. His one weakness is his patience, saying he leads the team in shots is an understatement, his ratio is 2/1 over most of his teammates and his FG% is near equal to his 3pt%, Vasquez needs to choose his shot selection a bit better, reminds me of like Rajon Rondo in that sense. Every season Vasquez improved in every category and every season the critics called his game overrated. This year with O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay you will see an offense opponents will fear along with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol keeping the defense in check and their team in the game. I really believe this team will mature into a serious contender in the future,but for the immediate future look for them to find the 2nd round of the playoffs a comfortable accomplishment. All I can say is watch for yourself this season as Memphis plays with a young team so nieve they could actually be dangerous. His intensity for the game makes you kick yourself that your team could have easily drafted him in the first round while Memphis fans rejoice that they didn't miss out. If John Wall live up to half the player he is expected to be others won't stand a chance to win the hardware for RoY, but if he proves to be mortal look out for Vasquez to compete. Follow Jamie Canu on Twitter @ObiWanCanubi

Where does it boil down? The national past time on the Nation's Birthday, football at the Dawn of the Holiday season or basketball at it's Pinnacle? Some people would say this is a no contest, but I think there may be some people that disagree, I am one of them and it goes deeper than just sports.

Let's begin with football. Traditionally for me Thanksgiving has always been the holiday spent with a lot of relatives I only see once a year only to stuff our faces and listen to people promise to catch up more often then just annually in late November. Thanksgiving has always been that holiday I just never really cared for to much. Maybe it is because I don't care for turkey, or maybe I just don't like being forced to spend one day of the year with people I don't see again for another 12 months. Frankly the whole idea of the holiday irritates me, and that stupid parade only makes it worse. But let's move onto the sport of football and i can sum it up rather easily in 3 points.

• The Patriots have up until now only participated in 3 Thanksgiving Day games, and one of them I was too young to to enjoy, another they lost, but they did win in 2002 following that miraculous Superbowl.
• The Detroit Lions are pretty much a mainstay of Turkey Day and that is a guaranteed win for the opponent for the most part, even when Barry was playing they pretty much smelled still, atleast he was a pleasure to watch for 30 carries a game. The other common team while I was in my "developing sports years" was the Dallas Cowboys and they were a guaranteed win during their dynasty years of the 90s. For that sport that prides itself on the "Any Given Sunday" mantra, they sure don't carry well onto Thursdays.
• High School football, it is the one day of the year that you can go into a gas station or convenience store to grab that last minute items and people are also looking to scoop those updates on the local high school game. Now I am sure in Texas this is a common occurrence because they love their football regardless of how it is served, not so much here in Massachusetts.

This is the one day that local sports matters when they are not contending for a state title, at least around where I am from. And not to mention that school day prior when you wear that HS football jersey to school and around town that evening you are actually treated like a sports hero regardless if you are the star running back or the 3rd wide-out in the depth chart. I fell into the later, but I mattered for one game a year.

Until recently the NFL hosted 2 games usually Detroit in one game and many other times Dallas hosting the other. About four years ago it was expanded to 4 games, but honestly it has done little to get the Patriots into the game even following their dominance of the early part of the decade. But this is not about the Pats being snubbed. Football for many is a sport that usually can be watched regardless of who is on each side of the ball. For me unless it is New England I usually have absolutely no interest, NCAA is a bit of a different story.

Too sum it up, the NFL fumbles on the Day of Thanks.

We can briefly look at MLB and how they approach 4th of July, they don't. If it doesn't fall on a travel day everyone plays like usual. They really embrace the opportunity to do something special, which is why I watch the hot dog eating contest.

Christmas is a different story all together. No matter how bad your year has gone there is nothing like white snow and Christmas cheer to put a smile on your face. I know some people feel the holiday is watered down, but I personally love everything about the Christmas season.

The day starts bright and early with presents, you are never to old to enjoy a gift no matter how small and insignificant it happens to be, unless you are Ebenezer Scrooge a gift makes your heart warm. Even the gathering of guests is manageable, as it is usually much shorter than Thanksgiving because people usually have other places to go. Top it off that Christmas Dinner is held to a more intimate familiar group of people that you usually you see regularly, because unless you are loaded buying gifts for those "Thanksgiving-type" family members it would get awfully expensive. But this is not about presents and house guests, this is about the gift of basketball.

The NBA has it down, they plan Christmas Day like the NFL plans Monday Night Football. They put their biggest teams, with the biggest stars and they line them up nicely to entertain the Country from noon to midnight, if you are EST if you are PST it is more like sun up to sun down. While the NFL seems to have a pool of teams for Thanksgiving no matter how good or bad that play on Thanksgiving when their rotation comes up. The NBA takes it season by season and focuses their biggest draws and puts forth the best match ups possible.

• I love the Celtics(obviously), and watching them face Orlando in a playoff rematch will be nothing short of brutal with the elbows and swats from Dwight Howard and deeks and dimes from Rajon Rondo.
• Besides just Boston, who won't watch the Heat try to prove themselves against LA, I think even Boston will have Kobe's back on Christmas, I know I will.
• How about Carmelo battle Durant down in the post?
• The opening is a bit weak with the Bull likely slaughtering the Knicks, but let's see how this new NYK lineup meshes before we write them off.
• And the night cap of Portland v Golden State could look weak but you are pitting a top offense of run and gun against one of the best defenses. I personally look forward to seeing how that pans out.
• But look at the line up of stars from these four games: Rondo, Pierce, KG, Howard, Kobe, LBJ, Wade, Boozer, Amar'e, Carmelo, Rose, Durant, and maybe Oden just to name a few. The pulled out their biggest stars and made the most of their marquee time for a National Day of Hoops.

Now the Celtics don't always make it, nor do the Lakers and Knicks, the NBA's biggest markets. Instead the NBA intelligently selects games we crave, not just blindly selecting teams because historically they have played on a certain day. I mean really, who wants to watch teams in a rebuilding faze take a beating on national television with no option to find another game. On that "any given Sunday" at least you can swap to the other network or if you spring for the NFL package a cornucopia of choices. But on their second most popular day to the Superbowl the NFL just gives you Detroit. Way to go.

You may or may not agree, 87% of the US will probably shun me for my opinion, but in my eyes the fire of the Christmas Spirit burns much brighter for the NBA than does that of the wilting feathers of Tom Turkey and the NFL, and we won't even consider what MLB is wasting in their midsts of marketing genius.

When this holiday season arrives you may find yourself agreeing with this post even if you don't today.

Follow Jamie Canu @ObiWanCanubi

Grindin

It starts with pics, but it is videos

Ludacris and Snoop knew who exactly to write this beat for... RR

3rd in a series

Bazinga

Why is Rondo the best player in the league? Here is 2:20 of shining examples. Pay particular attention to :52 seconds into the video. Rajon fakes the pass around his back… everyone including the cameraman moves. There is no point guard in the league I would want over RR, hell there is no Celtic I would keep over the Mosquito Man past or present. He is pure entertainment and only getting better.

*By reading this you understand that I guarantee nothing because I am neither a psychic nor a svengali that can influence any change of the NBA season. Frankly if I get any of these right I will be exceptionally proud of myself, not only that I will be a better predictor of hoops then that so called network ESPNonourcredibility... say it allowed enough times and you will get it. See, wasn't really that funny now was it, but I got you to waste 3 minutes that you will never-ever get back. Now you didn't come here to read this blabber, you came here to read a list, so here is your list, enjoy.

1. Allen Iverson will be MVP... After heading east and signing with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons of China and teaming up with Starbury and Rashad McCants to create a Big 3 of the CBA and starting the dynasty that will take them to a record 7 straight CBA titles.

2. Mikhail Prokhorov's connection to organized crime will become apparent when he begins to force those in debt to him to "work" off their services within the Nets organization and Vlade Divac comes back for on last hurrah as center for NJ down the stretch. On a positive note they will draw so many fouls they will hit a winning streak that leads them into the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference

3. Ron Artest has his title, this season he will bring the noise to the Staples Center and he bigins to personally supply Hennessy to the fans at half-time.

4. Delonte West will be the most chanted name in the NBA this season and he won't even be on a roster. ESPN will drop court-audio to all broadcast Heat games due to what they call "distracting vuvuzelas" and hire THX to mix in background sound. It will be discovered when someone accidentally hits the "Tie-Fighter Fly By" button. (I may actually get this one right.)

5. The countdown to the Summer of Carmelo will never come to fruition because of Utah's trade deadline day deal will make them the most ridiculously powerful team in the West resulting in Jerry Buss yelling, "no fair."

6. Joakim Noah and Chris Bosh will finish 1st and 2nd in the new reality contest search for the most handsome NBA bigman. Following the event judge Stevie Wonder will admit that his first choice was Gheorghe Muresan but he was ineligible due to his non-roster status.

7. Sam Cassell will host the event.

8. The Nets will trade for Tony Parker, not for playing talent but for Jay-Z's record label after his newest album debuts at #1 on the Billboard charts. Shawn Carter will be quoted as saying, "You gotta keep your competition on the payroll." Unfortunately for the Spurs they get Kanye in the deal.

9. Following a critical failed free throw attempt, teammate Chauncey Billups will tell shooter Sheldon Williams that they would have been better off letting Williams wife take the shot. Williams will have no retort because Billups is right.

10. Tracy McGrady will be so desperate to sign he will partner with Woot!.com to find an employer. Of course they will list his services on Sellout.Woot! and he will just never get the call, even with free shipping.

11. Big Baby Glen Davis wins "So You Think You Can Dance?" and through a suggestion from judge Paula Abdul begins a new endeavour with the Boston Celtics to revamp the dance squad moves. Jim Rome gets mouthy and jealous and challenges Baby to a dance-off.

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In the Boston Media we have heard the term "last run" quite often and I think they are being a bit unfair to the future of the Celtics who in my opinion have a future possibly brighter than the present. As each of the major players re-signed or joined the Celtics you regularly saw the following line: "Ray Allen/Paul Pierce came back for one last run with Boston."

I would never accuse the Boston media of negative foresight, they would never be such pessimists. (yep sarcasm if you missed it.)

The Big Three are the core of the Celtics, 2008-2009 and parts of this past season already have shown us what happens when they are hurting. But in two years we are looking at a future without the life-blood of this team, Allen will most surely retire and I can't imagine Garnett's knees will keep holding up his frame. On the outside chance that both do continue to play neither will start, at least not for Boston. But the future is not glum, at least not in my optimistic view, and frankly I think it will be a much more exciting team.

First, there is no question that Rajon Rondo will be the leader of this team, and if given the pieces to work with he will be controlling a much more athletic and explosive team that will control a tempo that teams will have difficulty sustaining and beat teams into exhaustion. It is no hidden secret that Rondo is the best player in transition on the court. His hustle and stop-to-go speed is unmatched by any player. His weak point is clearly his scoring, and with the right pieces he does not need to push the scoring to win. He needs to control the game.

With Kevin Garnett likely gone after two seasons I may be counting chickens before they hatch, but after watching Luke Harangoody play this summer he will be the PF for this team into the future. If he plays as good as I hope and expect I am not above starting him next season over KG. He is big and boxy but he moves fairly well, his inside game is strong and he can shoot from nearly anywhere, I am starting to have a feeling this guy could make us all remember what the 1980s were like when McHale owned the post.

Avery Bradley has not stepped on to the court or even been able to lace up some Celtic Green sneakers, but his role for the Celtics unless I am wrong will be a solid bench player. He will come off the pine and give 20+ minutes a game and have a decent career, but I don't see him being our SG of the future, I hope I am wrong and he is amazing, but even a solid bench player will be an asset you need to win titles.

Glen Davis will continue to be Big Baby and that is ok, the guy excels at his role 75% of the time. Unfortunately Baby's ego is bigger than his talent and he may take his contract to a team that may dangle more minutes to him and he will grab it in a second and head the way of James Posey looking for more and finding the same. I hope I am wrong, I actually enjoy Baby as a person and a player.

Nate Robinson will give us a few more years minimum, I hope this guy turns into a career Celt and I keep saying I hope he makes the jump to Rondo's linemate as I think a backcourt with that much speed has never been seen. I salivate at the thought of transitions turning into a lob pass over the defending guards turning into layups for easy uncontested points. I am holding to this dream and I won't even consider an alternative. Nate has an external intensity that Rondo lacks and the polar opposites would compliment each other. I have been playing these two as my backcourt on NBA2K long before KryptoNate even got traded to the Green Machine, his trading was a dream come true for me.

Kendrick Perkins is the ideal center in my far from professional opinion. Far too many centers have become offensive machines, and left the defense on the wayside; much like the shortstop position in baseball and lost their roots. The center should be a rebounding first mentality and let their 2 blocks a game come to them and points should be based solely on right-place, right-time.. Blocks are a stat that really is far and away overblown. How many blocks are more than just great highlights? When you weigh it out the loss of 4 points really breaks even because the opposing center washes those with their 2 blocks. A stay at home center will get them as Perk does nearly as often as a ball hunter like Dwight Howard. Without a question a healthy Perk is a cornerstone of this team.

That doesn't seem like much but it is a core, and where there is a core free agents will flock. Are you telling me that when KG or Allen pack it in there is not a dozen player's agents that won't call and express interest in sending their player to the Hub. And if Pierce continues past his given contract on to a veteran minimum to help lead the youngsters as a reserve his salary will also be an asset.

A few guys I would love to see in green and white to round out this squad:

When Paul Pierce is gone, or just out of the starting rotation we could benefit from Danny Granger. If the Pacers ever felt like dealing him before he walks I would bundle up KG and send him to Indiana. From there I would move Danny to the SF slot and bump Pierce into the SG spot where he really may be a bigger asset.

Unfortunately for Boston, Memphis snagged the best guard available in the draft after John Wall in Maryland's Greivis Vasquez. Laugh now, but own up latter when I am right. The guy was the top guard in the ACC and will be the next dark horse surprise that everyone asks, "where did that guy come from?"

Draft, Draft, Draft. Boston has a history of drafting terrible and trading away the talent they do find before it blossoms. Think about the last 10 years and find me a draft pick that still plays for the Celtics and more so in a starting role. Last time it happened was Paul Pierce in 1998. Now Al Jefferson was a great pick because he did lead to acquiring KG, but he is no longer with us and that is just one player. Joe Johnson, Chauncy Billups and a few more have excelled, but never with Boston. Boston needs to draft well and ride out some of their choices.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a "Last Run at Glory" for the Big Three, but it is not the end of the road for Boston. There will not be a rebuilding transition like we saw in the 90's, this ownership will not let that happen. They will build this team through free agency if necessary and keep the greatest NBA franchise a relevant threat until my son is old enough to sign his first contract and take Rondo's place as the point guard of the future.

Follow me on Twitter @ObiWanCanubi